


Whumptober 2020 - 22 - Drugged

by DinerGuy



Series: Whumptober 2020 [5]
Category: Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, Family, Friendship, Gen, Held at Gunpoint, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapped, Ohana, Suspense, Whump, Whumptober 2020, disorientation, drugged, the lads are very good boys, worried friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:47:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27156841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DinerGuy/pseuds/DinerGuy
Summary: They'd found Higgins, but the last thing anyone expected was for her not to know them—or hold them at gunpoint.
Series: Whumptober 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950892
Comments: 5
Kudos: 37





	Whumptober 2020 - 22 - Drugged

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah... this was another one I've had sitting on my computer for a while. I figured Whumptober was a good excuse to finally let it out into the light of day.

"Have either of you gotten any threats recently?"

Magnum shook his head. He knew exactly what T.C. meant; as private investigators, he and Higgins made more than their fair share of enemies, and it was possible the attack had to do with a case they were or had been investigating. "Sure, but none from anyone who'd be capable of doing something like this." He sighed. "We've had a lot of smaller cases the past few weeks; nothing high-stakes."

Rick cleared his throat as he rejoined them, anxiously tapping his phone against his palm. "I put a few calls out, but no one's heard anything yet."

The frustration in T.C.'s sigh echoed what each of the other men was feeling at that moment. "So these guys somehow got the gate code from one of the gardeners, kidnapped Higgy, and got away—and we got nothin'?"

"Katsumoto is on his way over; he said he'd have officers pick up the gardener for questioning," Magnum supplied, but he sighed as well. The look on his face told his friends what he was thinking. "I can't believe I didn't see anything suspicious about him. I'm the security consultant here for—"

"Hey," Rick interrupted. He put an encouraging hand on his friend's shoulder. "You know this could be anything. This guy might not be guilty of more than telling the wrong people the wrong things. It doesn't mean you messed up or missed something."

Magnum nodded and shot a dirty glare at where his phone was lying on the counter, displaying the frozen image of the two men who'd grabbed Higgins. The security footage was paused at the moment, but the images were still running through Magnum's head from the half-dozen times he'd already watched it. The two men had been waiting when Higgins had arrived home, and, though she'd put up more of a fight than they'd seemed to be expecting, they'd still overpowered her easily enough. One had finally managed to get her in a chokehold while the other had produced a syringe he'd plunged into her right bicep. As her struggles had slowed, the one with the syringe had pulled a zip tie from his back pocket and secured her hands in front of her before they'd dragged her out the front door.

But, even though they did have the men's images on the recording, Magnum wasn't sure even an advanced facial recognition program would get a hit on either of them. They'd moved quickly, and most of the images of their faces were blurred and or hidden in shadows. There didn't seem to be any clear frames of either kidnapper. The cops could still work with what was there, but it would most likely be a slow process that might not yield any results.

The timing of the entire thing enraged him. According to the time stamp on the video, he had missed the kidnapping by mere minutes. And Rick had been filling in for Kumu, who'd had an appointment elsewhere, in bringing Zeus and Apollo to the children's hospital again, so the Dobermans hadn't been on the grounds to help either. Higgins had been alone and unable to escape, and now she was missing, taken by the intruders to who-knew-where.

"Hey," T.C. said firmly. "We'll find her."

Nodding, Magnum glanced away and swallowed, clenching his jaw. He looked as serious as the others had ever seen him—as much as he'd been on even the most serious of missions the men had been on together years before.

The other two followed his gaze through the doorway from the kitchen, where they were all standing, to the living room. The place was a mess, with broken furniture and shattered remnants of what were once decorations lying around. A picture had been knocked off of the wall, and a potted plant lay on its side, soil spilled everywhere, and the pot itself cracked and broken.

It had been the first indication that anything was wrong, catching Magnum's attention the moment he'd walked in the door. He'd been on his way to the study to look for his partner to discuss one of their cases when he'd stumbled across the mess. And then a quick check of the security footage had immediately had him calling Rick, T.C., and Katsumoto.

All three had immediately said they were on their way, although the detective was farther out than either of the others. As soon as Rick and T.C. had arrived, they'd started looking into what might have happened; there was no way they were just going to wait around. Higgins was missing, and every second counted.

They were still surveying the mess in the living room when Zeus and Apollo trotted into the kitchen, whimpering quietly. The Dobermans had been wandering the house, whining periodically as they sensed something was wrong, before darting outside, but the three men hadn't paid them any mind in favor of starting their search for clues.

But now, the dogs stopped just inside the doorway and stared at the humans. One gave a low bark and turned in a circle while the other ran forward a few steps and then back.

"I think they're trying to tell us something," Rick remarked.

Magnum frowned in thought from where he'd taken a quick step back when the Dobermans had first appeared. "You might be right…"

When Zeus and Apollo turned back the way they'd come and then looked over their shoulders, it was all the trio needed to hurry after them.

The dogs moved faster now, casting glances over their shoulders as they led the men down to the wine cellar. The gate at the front of the underground room was closed and locked, and the dogs pulled up next to it. They both pawed at the ground near the barred entrance, whining and panting as they looked back at the men watching them.

"What is it, boys?" Rick asked, moving closer.

Zeus and Apollo glanced up at him. One laid down and put his head on his paws while the other turned in a circle and gave a small  _ wuff. _

"Do you think someone's in there?" T.C. asked, stepping forward to peer through the bars.

Shaking his head, Magnum took in the padlock securing the metal gate and the dim interior behind it. Usually, he'd be giving the dogs a wide berth, knowing their penchant for suddenly deciding to chase him around the estate. But things were different at the moment, and he barely gave their teeth a second thought as he considered the situation in front of him. "I don't know; it's locked up tight…"

"Thomas?" T.C. asked, immediately noticing the way his friend had trailed off.

"The key's not there," Magnum said slowly. "Higgy leaves it hanging on that hook; no one usually comes down here other than me, and she knows I can get in anyway."

T.C. and Rick exchanged glances and then looked back to Magnum. They could all see the key was missing from the spot Magnum had indicated, which meant either Higgins had locked the cellar earlier for some reason, or…

"Higgy?" Magnum called, looking around the inside of the cellar again as he stepped forward and pulled a set of lockpicks from his pocket. He still had them on him from a case-related errand earlier in the day, and he was grateful for the time it saved him as he quickly set to work on the padlock.

There was no answer to his call, nor to Rick and T.C.'s that followed.

Between the table in the middle of the room and the crates of a new shipment of wines Robin had recently had delivered, it was hard to see much inside the shadowy cellar. But, with the way the dogs were behaving, the men knew there was something—or someone—inside, and Magnum just clenched his jaw and worked at the lock.

It finally gave with a metallic  _ click.  _ Magnum fumbled to pull the lock out of the holes in the gate and then tossed it to the side along with his tools.

"Stay," Rick ordered the dogs.

They whined and ducked their heads but backed up a few steps to lie down on their bellies.

Magnum nodded at Rick in thanks. They needed to see what was going on inside the cellar, and they didn't know what they were about to face. The dogs could be an asset if there were trouble, but the men needed to figure out what was going on before the Dobermans tore anyone to shreds. Although, if it turned out that one of the men who'd attacked Higgy had somehow ended up inside, Magnum wasn't opposed to the idea of letting the dogs in and then locking the gate behind them.

As soon as he had yanked the gate open, Magnum rushed inside. His friends were right on his heels, and they rounded the crates in less than a second.

It took a brief moment for any of them to make out anything, but the room appeared empty, and Magnum felt his stomach sink. He'd been so sure the missing key was a clue something was amiss down in the cellar, but it looked like he'd been wrong.

The flash of something moving behind the table caught his eye, and he turned toward it—just as the unmistakable  _ click  _ of a gun being cocked stopped him cold.

"Higgy?" Magnum blinked in surprise as his eyes adjusted to the dimness of the shadows.

She watched them warily, a small black pistol clenched in her fist. "Hands up," she ordered, her voice wavering and rough. Her hand was trembling, causing the gun to shake, but she still held it up firmly enough to make them all halt in their tracks.

"Hey, it's just us," Magnum tried again. "Magnum and T.C. and Rick. It's okay—"

"I will shoot you if you come any closer," she interrupted him.

There was something in her face that had Magnum very worried very quickly. It was a combination of the dazed look in her eyes and the paleness of her face, against which the cut on her right eyebrow stood out in stark contrast. Her clothes were dirty and rumpled; there was a tear in the sleeve of her blouse just above where a scrape on her arm. Magnum wasn't sure what she'd been through besides just the fight in the house, but it was clear something very bad had happened between then and now.

He recalled the drugs the men had injected her with before dragging her out of the main house, and he immediately realized that must be the cause of her reaction to them now. There was no way to know—yet—what she'd been given, but they were clearly playing a role in her perception of her surroundings.

He swallowed and glanced sideways at Rick and T.C. The looks on their faces, a mix of concern and anger, seemed to mirror his own.

"Hey, it's okay, Higgy baby," T.C. said quietly. He had his hands raised but started to edge toward her as he spoke. "You're safe now."

The pistol swung to point at him. "Stay back!" Higgins snapped.

"Magnum?"

The three men immediately recognized Katsumoto's voice coming from behind them, but Higgins' wide-eyed expression told them she definitely did not. She backed up a few steps, gun still aimed at them as she moved to put the table between her and the others. The light coming into the cellar through the bars illuminated her more fully now, and Magnum immediately noticed the angry red marks on her wrists.

"Please, just go." Her voice was softer now, nearly on the verge of breaking. "Leave me alone."

Rick cleared his throat. "Jules—"

"No. No, I will shoot you," she added, her voice only a little firmer. Her eyes darted back and forth, then she stepped back again, gun still upraised. "Just leave, all of you. Please."

Magnum risked taking his eyes off of Higgins to glance back at Katsumoto, who was just stepping through the gate. The detective raised a questioning eyebrow at Magnum, who shrugged and shook his head in response.

"Higgins?" Katsumoto's voice was soft and gentle as he moved to join the others. "It's Detective Katsumoto. Can you put the gun down for me?"

She shook her head. There was genuine fear dancing in her eyes as they flicked past Magnum's shoulder to glance at the detective, then back to watch the other three. She looked toward the open gate, and, for a second, it appeared like she might make a break for it.

If she did, Magnum wasn't sure how that would play out. They didn't want to risk her getting lost and more disoriented and afraid, but grabbing for or following her couldn't end well.

"You're safe, Juliet," Katsumoto continued, moving slowly around where Magnum was standing. "I promise."

She tilted her head ever so slightly as she looked at him more closely, and Magnum could tell the moment her expression softened in some sort of recognition. That was good. He allowed himself to breathe a tiny sigh of relief and shifted to step in her direction.

The moment he did, her gaze snapped over to him, and the gun followed suit.

"Whoa, whoa, hey," Katsumoto exclaimed quietly, putting up a hand to draw Higgins' attention back to him and off of Magnum. "It's all right."

But Higgins shook her head frantically, the sheen of tears in her eyes glistening in the light.

Katsumoto briefly glanced over his shoulder at the others. "You three need to leave. Now," he ordered, even as he looked back to Higgins.

"But—"

"Now, Magnum. She doesn't know who you are, and you're frightening her." Katsumoto's voice was tight with concern. "You need to get out of here right now. Go call an ambulance and wait outside."

Realizing just how right the detective was didn't make things any easier, but Magnum nodded and backed up a step, exchanging looks with T.C. and Rick. Once again, their expressions told him they were thinking the same thing he was. Their faces mirrored what he was feeling, but none of them argued with Katsumoto's order. It was apparent Higgins was petrified of something, and they'd all seen the flicker of recognition in her eyes when the detective had arrived. For whatever reason, she seemed to be much more scared of the three of them than she was of him. So, if Katsumoto was the one who would be able to coax Higgy back to them, then they were more than willing to wait outside—regardless of how much it hurt.

When they passed the dogs, Zeus and Apollo looked up and whined. It was clear they were asking for permission to be released from Rick's previous command to stay.

Rick snapped his fingers. "Come on, lads," he told them, trying to emulate Higgy's cadence in the command. He didn't want them rushing in to check on their mistress and cause her more panic. Although it seemed impossible they would, it had also seemed impossible she wouldn't recognize any of the three friends—up until she'd held the three of them at gunpoint with genuine fear in her eyes. And she had stayed in hiding until Magnum had opened the lock and gone inside, even though the dogs had discovered her already, which meant it was highly likely she hadn't recognized them either. Without knowing just how bad things were, there was no way Rick was risking making it even worse.

Neither Doberman seemed happy about it, but they obeyed and followed Rick, heads low and ears back.

The paramedics arrived not long after Katsumoto had sent the others out of the cellar. Magnum directed them to where Higgins and Katsumoto were and gave them as much information as he could, but he didn't follow. After having seen the state Higgins was in, he was inclined to follow the detective's orders for once—as much as he didn't want to, he knew he needed to, if only for Higgy's sake.

There was nothing to do then but wait, and it felt like an eternity before the small group appeared from the cellar.

Higgins looked so small on the gurney when she was finally carried out, and the three men who had been anxiously waiting in the courtyard instinctively started toward her. Her face was drawn and pale, her eyes darting around as if she couldn't settle herself even with the emergency workers taking care of her. But she caught sight of the guys approaching and shrank back, her hands darting to the straps buckled around her waist as if to attempt an escape.

Katsumoto immediately fixed them with a stern look. "She's been drugged," he said, shaking his head. "She doesn't recognize anyone."

If Higgins' frightened expression wasn't enough to stop them, that news was. Magnum clenched his fists by his sides, his gaze focused on Higgy as the female EMT on her right said something quietly to her. The words barely seemed to relax the patient, though, and Magnum saw when her eyes jumped over to Katsumoto walking beside her. The tension in her body seemed to abate ever so slightly then, and Magnum forced himself to breathe. Katsumoto had said she didn't recognize  _ them,  _ which raised the question of what she did remember. Had she recognized the detective? Did she even know who or where she was?

One of the paramedics was saying something to Katsumoto about needing to know what Higgins had been dosed with before they could give her any medication, and Magnum exchanged a glance with T.C. and Rick. It made sense, but it made his stomach twist even more. It was obvious Higgins was in pain; just going by the security footage, she'd been pretty beaten up from the fight with her kidnappers  _ before  _ they'd dragged her out of the room—and there was no telling what had happened between then and them finding her in the cellar.

A frightened cry from the ambulance caught his attention then, pulling him from his thoughts and back to what was going on around him. The EMTs were just loading the patient into the back of the vehicle, with Katsumoto standing outside the door.

Higgins was fumbling with the buckles holding her in place, fighting to free herself. There was sheer panic written across her features, and, when the female paramedic tried to calm her by putting a hand on her shoulder, Higgins lashed out at the other woman. The paramedic ducked, barely missing the blow aimed at her nose, and then reached for the patient again.

As her struggles grew more desperate, Higgins yelled again, the sound echoing out of the open back of the ambulance as she threw another punch. This one glanced across the paramedic's jaw. It didn't seem like it made much of an impact, but it was enough to send the woman back a step.

Magnum started forward, although he wasn't sure exactly what he planned to do once he got to Higgy's side. She might be just as scared of him, but he couldn't just stand by and watch her panicked struggles or let her hurt anyone else.

But Katsumoto beat him to it and jumped up into the back of the ambulance. He moved past the paramedic, and the others could hear his firm voice as he stepped into Higgins' line of sight. "Juliet, hey, look at me."

Those watching could see her slowly do as she'd been told, and it only took a moment before she seemed to deflate against the gurney. 

"Come on; that's it," they could hear Katsumoto continue. "You're okay."

She said something too low for the others to catch, and Katsumoto just nodded and gently reached for her. Higgins didn't pull away, allowing him to put an encouraging hand on her forearm, and the detective glanced over at the paramedic, who nodded.

"The detective will ride with us." Her partner turned to the three men who were watching from a few yards away. "You can meet us at the hospital."

They followed as fast as they could, but the ambulance still quickly outdistanced them. By the time they arrived at the hospital, Higgins had already been brought back to a room. A nurse directed them where to sit while they waited for news, and they reluctantly filed into the small waiting area just past the nurses' station.

A female HPD officer arrived shortly afterward, and Magnum heard her ask the nurse for Juliet Higgins' room. That didn't help his nerves any at all, but he didn't have a chance to ask the woman anything before she turned and hurried in the direction the nurse had pointed her.

It felt like an eternity after that before Katsumoto joined them, and all three men were immediately on alert. They didn't say anything, didn't have to, as they studied his expression for any indication of how Higgins was doing.

"The doctor's with her now," Katsumoto told them. "They're doing a full physical examination. She has a couple of bruised ribs and a concussion, besides the drugs." He sighed. "Whatever those men gave Higgins is affecting her pretty badly; she doesn't seem to recognize anyone. Not any of you, not me… She doesn't even trust the medical staff."

Magnum swallowed, immediately realizing what the news meant. "She only trusted you because of the badge," he observed, his gaze dropping down to where the object in question was clipped on the detective's belt and remembering how Higgins' gaze had landed on it when Katsumoto had first arrived in the cellar.

The detective nodded as they all fell silent for a moment, then he sighed and continued. "The doctor asked that no one else goes in to see her for now. She's, uh, having enough trouble processing everything as it is." He paused and looked between the others as if he knew how his next words would affect them. "They nearly had to restrain her once already."

"What?" Rick gasped. He, Magnum, and T.C. immediately sat up even straighter at the news.

"They didn't have to," Katsumoto quickly reassured them. "But that's why the doctor won't let anyone else in besides necessary medical staff, Officer Pahea, or myself. At least for right now."

A new voice joined the conversation as Kumu joined them. "So we just have to wait?" she asked, having caught the tail end of Katsumoto's update.

He nodded. "For now, yes. They're finishing up the exam—which is why I called in a female officer; I thought it would be more comfortable for Higgins that way. The doctor promised to give us a full update after they get her settled."

The others all nodded in acknowledgment, then Magnum cleared his throat.

"Any update on the case?" he wanted to know. "Is there anything we can do right now?"

Checking his phone, Katsumoto shook his head. "Nothing yet. Uniforms just picked up the gardener. I'll head over to talk to him in a few minutes."

Magnum clenched his jaw yet again, the muscles aching as he tried to keep his anger in check. "I can't believe we don't even have all the security footage," he growled. When the others looked at him in question, he sighed. "One of my updates to the estate's security was to put some of the cameras on a different circuit," he explained. "That's why we even have the footage we do; the living room and a few of the others in the main house are on one with the rest on a second, which is the one these guys cut. Which means we have a record of what happened inside but no idea what happened after they left."

He couldn't bring himself to say the rest of what he was thinking, how he wondered if she'd somehow gotten away and hidden in the cellar or if the men who had grabbed her had locked her in there. And she'd had a gun when they'd found her, but, although Magnum knew Higgins kept guns hidden all over the estate, he also knew it wasn't impossible she'd stolen it from one of the criminals. However, the absence of any bodies anywhere on the estate made him suspect she'd retrieved the pistol from a hiding place in the cellar—and that made him wonder what might have happened in the meantime.

Sighing, he ran a hand over his face and pointedly looked at the floor. Higgins had long since become a part of the little family he and the others were, and Magnum knew the other guys felt the same way about protecting each other as he did. The idea that none of them had been there for one of their family and that they couldn't be there for her now was not one that any of them took lightly.

Kumu's voice accompanied her hand on his shoulder. "She's going to be okay, Thomas."

He just nodded, not looking her way but appreciating the encouraging touch as he took another deep breath.

"Hey," T.C. said, pulling Magnum's attention up to him. "We're gonna find these guys."

Magnum swallowed and forced himself to nod again, then glanced away just in time to see a dark-haired woman in a white coat step into the waiting area. She headed for where Katsumoto was sitting next to the others, and Magnum studied the woman's face, trying to determine if she had good news. He wanted nothing more than to see for himself that Higgy was okay, but he had a feeling none of them were going to be allowed to see her yet.

"Hi, Detective?" the doctor asked as she joined them. Magnum glanced at her nametag: Hatley.

Katsumoto nodded in greeting. "How is she, Doc?"

"She's going to be okay," Doctor Hatley replied with an encouraging nod. She glanced around the group. "Physically, she has some healing to do, but it's remarkably less than you might have suspected. The only injuries she sustained are from the fight itself. She's resting now, and we've given her an IV to help flush the drugs from her system."

Magnum felt some of the tension leaving his shoulders as the doctor finished her explanation.

"Can we see her?" Kumu asked.

Hatley shook her head. "I'm sorry, no. Because of the way she's reacted to everything so far, I'm going to have to insist that no one goes in to see her until after she wakes up. I'll reevaluate her then, and we'll go from there." She smiled sympathetically. "I'm just worried she might react badly if she still doesn't recognize any of you. I'm sure you understand."

"Of course, Doctor," Kumu replied for all of them.

"I'll be back with an update once I have one," the other woman told them with another small smile, then she turned and headed down the hall.

"Right," T.C. said after a moment's pause. "Let's go get these guys."

Katsumoto didn't argue this time. "Magnum, you said you had security footage of the attack?"

"Uh, yeah," Magnum replied, already pulling out his phone. He immediately knew what the detective meant; in all of the chaos of finding Higgy in the wine cellar, Katsumoto hadn't had a chance to review the video yet. "I'll send it to you right now."

"Thanks."

Meanwhile, Rick was checking his own phone and tapping at it as he typed something out. When T.C. looked over his shoulder at the screen, Rick glanced up at his friend. "One of my, uh, friends might have some information on the attack at the estate."

When Katsumoto raised an eyebrow, Rick just shrugged. "Look, I know people, all right? You have your sources; I have mine." He ignored the look the detective was giving him and frowned as his phone vibrated in his hand. "Some guy was talking big earlier this afternoon about a K-and-R somewhere on Oahu, said he and his partner had a lead on a big payday."

The others exchanged glances.

Magnum tucked his phone back into his pocket as he looked at Rick. "Did your friend say anything else?"

"Not yet," Rick replied, shaking his head as he tapped out yet another text.

Katsumoto's phone chimed then, and he glanced at the screen. "Got it," he told Magnum as he pulled up the message. "I'll send this to my guys, get them to—"

"What?" Magnum asked as soon as the detective broke off his sentence.

"I know this guy," he replied, eyes narrowing as he continued watching the video. "The shorter one; his name's Earl Murray."

Rick nodded and quickly typed the name as Katsumoto continued.

"We've had a few run-ins over the years." Based on the expression on the detective's face, Murray's reputation was not a good one. "I'll get an alert put out on him right away; if we can track him down, it's only a matter of time before we find his friend. I've questioned Murray before; he's not the best at keeping secrets." Katsumoto smiled coldly.

Rick cleared his throat and looked up from his phone. "I might be able to help with that." He turned the device around to show the others a photo of a license plate on the back of a black sedan. "I might know the owner of the bar where this guy was earlier today, and he owes me."

No one pushed the explanation. Katsumoto just nodded and tapped out the license plate number into his own phone. "We're going to find these guys."

* * *

In terms of normal investigations, it wrapped itself up neatly in record time. 

Magnum, Rick, and T.C. insisted on following Katsumoto, and the detective didn't even try to argue with them. Between his previous experience in trying to tell them no and how much he knew they all cared about Higgins, Katsumoto knew there was no way they were going to listen if he told them to stay behind, so he didn't bother wasting his breath. With the doctor not allowing anyone in Higgins' room, it was an easy choice for the three men to go after Murray and his partner.

Kumu promised to call the minute there was any news, looking as determined as the rest of them in making sure the criminals responsible answered for what they'd done.

When the men arrived at the address of the property currently registered to Murray, they immediately spotted the dark car in the driveway, its license plate matching the number on the image Rick's contact had provided. That was all they needed to move in on whoever was in the house.

The two men inside didn't put up much of a fight once they saw the four guns pointed at them—much less the anger in the faces of the men who'd come after them. And, true to Katsumoto's expectations, Murray was more than willing to talk the minute he realized how bad his situation was.

"We was just gonna hold onto her until that rich author guy paid us a ransom," he explained quickly, nearly tripping over his words as the detective handcuffed him. "But then we slowed down, an' she just jumped out the car!" He made a face of displeasure. "We looked for her, but she'd disappeared into the trees, so we came back here to figure things out. All that work figurin' out how to get in and cut the cameras, and then she ruined it."

When Katsumoto turned the kidnapper around to lead him to the squad car outside, he caught sight of the looks on the faces of the three men who'd accompanied him. Pride was clearly written across all of their features, along with expressions of relief as the pieces of what had happened to Higgins all clicked into place.

Katsumoto knew what they were thinking because he was as well. Higgins had escaped and made her way back to the estate, where she'd proceeded to lock herself in the wine cellar. With the drugs messing with her mind, it must have seemed like the safest place at the time. Between the gun she'd hidden somewhere inside and the padlocked iron gate, it would have been one of the best places on the property for her to retreat.

And now, with the two kidnappers secured at HPD, there was nothing left for any of Higgins' friends to do but return to the waiting room and watch the clock slowly tick away the seconds… minutes…

Eventually, one by one, they all stopped looking. Time seemed to drag on, and no one wanted to keep watching the hours pass without any news.

After explaining everything to Kumu in more detail than had been conveyed over text, they'd fallen silent. Superficial chit-chat seemed idle, and no one knew what they would say if they tried anyway. Rick got up at one point, returning with four paper cups of coffee balanced in his hands, and Magnum's phone buzzed a little later with Katsumoto checking in from the station, but those were the only interruptions in their otherwise quiet corner of the waiting room.

When Doctor Hatley finally reappeared, all four shot to their feet instantly. None of them had been able to even think of dozing off, so they were all alert the moment the doctor joined them.

"She's awake," the doctor told them, smiling kindly at the way they all visibly relaxed at the words. "Most of what she was given seems to have cleared her system now, and I've given her some painkillers to help with the headache. She's still a little disoriented but much less so than at first." Hatley looked around at her audience. "The good news is that she knows who she is and remembers most of what happened. In fact, she's asking to see all of you."

Magnum felt relief wash over him at the words. Higgy was okay, and she remembered them. After the way she'd reacted in the cellar, there was a small part of him that had been afraid she'd lost her memories, that the drug had robbed her of the life in Hawaii that she'd worked so hard to build.

"So we  _ can _ see her?" he asked hesitantly, his eyes flicking toward Higgy's room.

The doctor nodded but gave him a stern look. "Yes, however," she added, "the minute there's any sign of agitation, you'll have to leave. For her safety, you understand?"

"Oh, we understand, Doc," Rick was quick to reassure her. "Don't worry."

Hatley smiled again and nodded. "Well, then, follow me."

Kumu was immediately on the doctor's heels, the three men trailing a little farther behind. Yet again, they wore similar expressions, this time of uncertainty. It wasn't that they didn't want to see Higgins, but the image of her terrified face when she'd tried to protect herself—from them—in the cellar was all they could think about. The doctor had said Higgy was doing better, but there was still doubt in the back of their minds that their appearance would make things worse again.

At least, that was what was nagging at Magnum the whole way down the hall until Doctor Hatley stopped at one door and knocked lightly before pushing it open.

The second they walked in, the images of a scared and worried Higgins were dispelled by the sight of her sitting up in bed, still pale but with a small smile spread across her face when she caught sight of them. The relief in her eyes was unmistakable, and Doctor Hatley nodded in satisfaction.

"I'll be back to check on you in a little while," she told Higgins with a smile of her own. She turned to give the rest of them another stern look, although this one was a little more relaxed than the last. "She does still need to rest, so don't get her too excited, okay?" But her wink belied the tone of her voice and told them she knew they wouldn't purposefully do anything detrimental to her patient.

They nodded their agreement as Hatley stepped outside and shut the door behind her.

"How are you feeling, Juliet?" Kumu bustled over to the bed and started fussing with the blanket spread across Higgins' lap. She tilted her head to study the younger woman's face. "Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine, Kumu; thank you," Higgins replied with a grateful smile. She glanced over at where the three men were standing awkwardly near the door. "I am fine, gentlemen, really. I promise. You can come in."

They slowly moved to take seats around the room, but it was Rick who finally said what they were all thinking.

"Jules, we're sorry for scaring you back at the estate," he said from the couch against the wall. "We didn't know…"

She waved a hand in his direction. "Oh, come now. I should really be apologizing to you all."

Three voices rose in argument that she had nothing to be sorry for until Kumu turned to raise an eyebrow at them.

"Do you want the doctor to kick all of you out so soon?" she asked firmly.

They ducked their heads apologetically, and Higgins laughed.

"You were all worried about me," she continued, shaking her head. "It was completely understandable that you rushed in the way you did, not knowing those idiots had drugged me so severely or that I'd locked myself in. I'd have done the same had the situation been reversed."

T.C. had followed Rick to take the other seat on the stiff plastic couch while Magnum took the smaller plastic chair that one of the nurses must have brought in.

"So… what happened?" T.C. asked slowly, as if hesitant to even bring up the events of the evening. "One of the guys Katsumoto arrested said you'd escaped?" Pride filled his question.

Higgins smiled and nodded. "I guess they figured the drugs would kick in faster, so they didn't bother to do much more than just stick me in the back seat and drive off," she said with a wry smile. "So, when the vehicle stopped at a red light and I managed to throw the door open and jump out, they weren't ready for it."

"And you weren't far from the estate, so you went back there," Magnum continued for her.

"All I could think was that I'd be safe if I could get to Robin's Nest…" Higgins swallowed. "I didn't know why; I just knew I had to get there. And then… and then I heard voices and all I could think about was how they'd been waiting for me when I got home. So I hid in the best place I could think of," she finished with a shrug.

"And then you couldn't remember any of us because the drugs were just starting to take hold," Magnum said quietly.

Glancing up at him, Higgins nodded again. "I… it's all a bit hazy, but I do recall not knowing who I could trust." Her voice sounded sadder now. "I just kept seeing those men every time I closed my eyes."

"Which is why you felt safe with Katsumoto." Magnum nodded. "You saw his badge."

Her small nod told him he was right, but she didn't say anything.

"It makes sense," Rick said, speaking up as if to fill the sudden silence. "I mean, as kids, we're told the cops are the good guys and to find one if we ever need help. Guess that lesson stuck with you even though you forgot who we all were."

T.C. cleared his throat and elbowed his friend, giving Rick a stern glare as he tilted his head toward the bed where it was impossible to miss the guilt playing across Higgins' pale features.

"Oh!" Rick exclaimed. "Sorry, Jules, I didn't mean it like that. I, uh…" He fumbled for words. "You weren't yourself; we know that. No hard feelings, I promise."

"It's all right," Higgins replied, glancing over at Kumu with a grateful look as the older woman patted her arm. "I know what you meant. And yes, you're right; I… Well, the whole thing is a bit of a blur. I'm…"

When she trailed off again, T.C. jumped in. "Well, we're just glad you did trust someone enough to let us get you help," he told her. Then he shot a playful glare across at where Magnum was sitting. "You wouldn't believe what this one tried to do to come see you."

"Hey!" Magnum exclaimed indignantly when Higgins looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "It made perfect sense! She trusted cops, and I had a badge!"

"A  _ fake _ badge!" Rick shot back just as indignantly. "Which makes you a  _ fake _ cop!"

"Besides," T.C. jumped in, "she'd already seen you! She knew you're not a cop." He looked at Higgins and arched an eyebrow, causing her to smirk back at him. "We told Thomas lying to the woman who could kill you five different ways without breaking a sweat was possibly one of the worst ideas he's ever had."

Magnum made a face at his friends, but, when he looked at Higgins and saw her smile, he felt a small smile spreading across his own face. She looked so much less stressed and fearful than when they'd found her in the wine cellar. Although there was still a hint of pain in her eyes, she looked more relaxed than she had earlier that evening, and he felt himself relaxing as well at the realization.

Then she glanced over and caught him watching her. The look she gave Magnum told him she knew exactly what he was thinking.

So he just grinned at her before turning back to roll his eyes at Rick. "At least I tried!" he argued, prompting another round of protests from Rick and T.C.

Even as he continued arguing with the other two men, he shot another sideways look at Higgins. The relaxed smile on her face was still there as she settled back, and Kumu jumped up to help adjust the pillows. Higgins closed her eyes with a small sigh, and the four friends around her exchanged glances. It was the outcome they'd been hoping for the whole time they were in the waiting room.

Magnum was already making a mental list of ways to improve the estate's security, and they all made silent promises to themselves and Higgins that she no longer had anything to be scared of. She wouldn't even have to ask; someone would be at the house with her for at least the next week. They were most concerned with making sure she wasn't going to have to worry about flashbacks to the kidnapping, and the sofas in the main house were more than comfortable for someone to spend the night on them.

She was safe—and knew she was safe—and was going to make a full recovery. And they would be with her every step of the way.


End file.
